IMANI Africa’s Franklin Cudjoe hails Ato Forson’s Finance Minister nomination as “sensible
Franklin Cudjoe, the Founder and President of IMANI Africa, has publicly endorsed the nomination of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as Minister of Finance, describing the choice as a “sensible” decision.
This endorsement comes in the wake of President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement of his first ministerial list, and is a notable contrast to Cudjoe’s sharp criticism of the previous finance leadership.
Cudjoe’s remarks, posted on his Facebook page on Friday, January 10, directly compared Dr. Forson’s appointment with what he perceived as the failings of the previous administration’s approach to finance. He did not mince words, lambasting the former Finance Minister for pursuing what he deemed overly ambitious and unrealistic projects.
Specifically, Cudjoe cited the proposed $50 billion century bond as a “delusional” undertaking, especially when considering the “odious debts” accumulated under the previous administration. He also highlighted the highly controversial Agyapa royalties deal as an example of flawed financial strategy.
“Ato Forson for Finance Minister. Sensible appointment,” Cudjoe wrote. “Thankfully, he is not an overhyped investment banker who would have wet dreams of some delusional $50bn century bond his predecessor entertained in spite of the odious debts he had accumulated. Worse, he was planning to mortgage our gold resources through very bad deals like Agyapa.”
Cudjoe’s post also celebrated the role of advocacy groups, including IMANI Africa and the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), in successfully opposing the Agyapa deal. He expressed strong condemnation for those involved in the deal, stating, “Agyapa was horrible, and kudos to IMANI and cousins at ACEP for leading the charge to kill it. Whoever advised the deal must be lashed 38 times.” He opined.
